EKARI

EKARI is a community-based nonprofit tackling extreme poverty in Malawi, Africa supporting education and economic community development. Our mission is to build knowledge and skills within youth and their surrounding communities so they can lift themselves out of extreme poverty.

A team of six Malawians lead program implementation, with support from two part-time staff in the U.S. who support program development and lead fundraising efforts. EKARI relies on a team of volunteers for website and communications support. A U.S. Board of Directors and Malawi Board of Directors provide program and fiscal oversight.

At EKARI, we believe in the power of education to break the cycle of extreme poverty. EKARI works to propel these ideals forward within the Phalombe District of Malawi. This is a region facing persistent inequality and is among the most difficult places in the world for young people striving for self-sufficiency. EKARI fills a significant gap by providing access to critical social services that the Malawi government does not provide.

We implement a fully-integrated, long-term, and learning-based. Our programs focus on three critical areas: (1) EKARI’s Student Tuition Program guarantees students can overcome the burden of high fees and costs of basic necessities through high school and higher education. Building on the tuition program, (2) EKARI’s Student Support Programs ensure students are equipped to succeed with a range of support in and outside the classroom, which continues until youth find employment. Our (3) Community Programs are designed to further support EKARI students by elevating the community around them by jumpstarting economic community development through our agriculture, adult literacy, and entrepreneurship programs.

Across all of our programs, we strive to decrease dependency on aid. Our ultimate goal is to enable youth and communities to thrive, with the freedom to determine their own futures.